Explore Words Kanji Grammar Guides

Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.

Get the Kotomora apps for iOS and Android.

Explore Words Kanji Grammar Guides About Support Privacy

Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.

いちご (ichigo) Japanese meaning: strawberry | Kotomora

いちご

い

ち

ご

Common word›JLPTN1›Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

1

usually written using kana alone

Refers to the fruit, especially the common garden strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa).

いちごのショートケーキが大だい好すきです。

I love strawberry shortcake.

春はるになると、いちご狩がりに行いきます。

In spring, I go strawberry picking.

2

15,000 yen

Slang pun on 一五 (いちご, 'one five'), used in contexts like pricing or gambling.

あの店みせの時計とけい、いちごだったよ。
That watch at the store was 15,000 yen.

Usage patterns

苺いちごを摘つむto pick strawberries
家か族ぞくで農のう園えんに行いって苺いちごを摘つんだ。
We went to a farm as a family and picked strawberries.
〈物もの〉が苺いちごslang for saying something costs 15,000 yen
このバッグ、いちごだったんだよ。
This bag cost fifteen thousand yen.

Kanji

苺strawberry
莓wild strawberry

Related words

ストロベリー
いちご is the everyday native Japanese word for strawberry, while ストロベリー is a loanword mainly used in product names, menus, and flavor descriptions.

Don't confuse with

木き苺いちご sense 1
苺 is the common garden strawberry, while 木苺 refers to raspberries and similar bramble berries, a different plant despite the shared 苺 kanji.

Counted with

個こN5
The all-purpose counter for small discrete objects, used when no more specific counter applies.
粒つぶN2
Strawberries are usually counted with 個, but 粒 can also be used when emphasizing them as small round grain-like fruits.

Word family· 20

木き苺いちご
raspberry (plant of genus Rubus)
フユイチゴ
Rubus buergeri; a species of raspberry
桑くわ苺いちご
mulberry fruit; fruit of the mulberry
カジイチゴ
Rubus trifidus; a species of raspberry

Written forms

いちごUsage37%
Usually written in kana; the kanji 苺 is common but It is usually written in kana.
イチゴUsage44%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling used in menus, product names, or for emphasis.
苺いちごUsage19%
Standard kanji for strawberry; widely recognized but less common than kana in everyday writing.
莓いちご
out-dated kanji form
Outdated kanji variant; not recommended for learners.

Etymology

The word いちご is of native Japanese origin, with uncertain derivation. The kanji 苺 is a kokuji (Japanese-made character) used specifically for strawberry.

毒どく苺いちご

false strawberry; mock strawberry

Show 6 more

クマイチゴ
Korean raspberry
ニガイチゴ
Rubus microphyllus; a species of raspberry
クサイチゴ
Rubus hirsutus; a species of raspberry
クロイチゴ
Rubus mesogaeus (species of blackberry)
チシマイチゴ
arctic raspberry
ホロムイイチゴ
cloudberry

See all 20 in Explore →